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ALBUM REVIEW

Prep

Authentic

Released 2014

A couple of years ago I was standing outside Neumos when a young man walked up and handed me this CD. It was probably Prep himself, hustling to get the word out. Much respect to the hustle. I’ve been enjoying this album, so thank you. The unGoogleable 7-track Authentic EP by Prep came out in late 2014, yet another in a series of stellar recent releases from Tacoma hip-hop artists. (There is so much great shit is coming out of Tacoma these days!) The verses here explore troubled teen life and resisting the temptations of less-than-legal “easy” options. Highlights include the extreme slow down at the end of “Radio,” and the cavernous acoustic guitar on “Bless The Bottle,” and the Kanye-esque honesty on “Robbery.” And “Work.” Damn: This one just gets better with every listen.